Eagles news: Eagles have a fantasy football league and it’s just like yours

Some Eagles love fantasy football, some hate it - Inquirer

Every fantasy football league has that owner who offers crazy trades. Maragos appears to fit that description with the Eagles. He offered Smith a trade involving an underperforming wide receiver last week - and then he cut the receiver after Smith turned down the deal.

"I'm trying to think like a GM would," Maragos said. "We're having a good time with it. . . . I'm always throwing out wild trade requests."

It makes sense, because only one owner needs to click accept for Maragos to upgrade his roster. Just don't expect it to be Ron Brooks.

"I beat Maragos' ass," Brooks said. "I don't want none of his players."

Three Philadelphia Eagles Numbers That Matter For Cowboys Week - Philly Mag

For as good as the Cowboys have been, they aren’t without a key weakness: their defense. Dallas ranks 20th in defensive DVOA by Football Outsiders. They’re 23rd in sacks per game at 1.8. The Cowboys are tied for 12th in takeaways overall and 20th with four interceptions. In other words, there’s ample evidence to suggest it’s a below average unit.

So if the Cowboys’ defense isn’t so great, why hasn’t it prevented them from winning? The answer is simple: time of possession. Much like the 2014 Cowboys, who won 12 games and were a Dez Bryant non-catch (Dez dropped it) away from making the NFC Championship Game, Dallas is relying on their offense to mask their defense. The Cowboys rank first in the NFL in average time of possession (33:08).

But Dallas isn’t the only team in this game with a ball-control offense. Doug Pederson’s team ranks third in average time of possession (32:16). The Eagles can keep the Cowboys’ best unit off the field by continuing to control the clock.

Eagles safety Watkins rewarded for perseverance - Daily News

"I think I kind of started to make excuses; when things get rough, you kind of want to point out a reason why you don't make it, and I think I did that a little bit," Watkins said Tuesday. "But on top of that was not being able to have a chance to showcase what I could do. That goes to me not being able to earn the coaches' trust in practices. I probably didn't do that.

"But (after he returned) this staff gave me an opportunity at safety, locked me at safety, and I just had to suck it up and get better at it. I knew tackling would be a challenge. I was just proud of myself, of how I approached that, didn't complain about that and became a better tackler. Now it's all working out."

Going to Buffalo's practice squad, to a team where his half-brother, wideout Sammy Watkins, was a star, "was a humbling experience," he said. "I think I earned guys' respect . . . Nobody knew anything about me. I approached every day like, 'I'm gonna earn their respect.' ''

One of the defensive backs who helped him in Buffalo was Brooks, who signed as a free agent with the Eagles this spring. They spoke Tuesday, as Brooks awaited surgery that probably will keep him off the practice field until next July. Brooks' misfortune is a big break for Watkins, as so often happens in the NFL.

Nothing personal against Eagles for Cedric Thornton, but 'we hate 'em - ESPN

Because of his time in Philadelphia, Thornton has an interesting take on the rivalry.

“It’s the same perspective we got here -- we hate 'em," Thornton said. "Just like we hate everybody else in the division. We hate them.”

Hate is such a strong word, especially considering Thornton’s friendship with so many Eagles.

“I mean, it’s more we want to beat you, you know? They want to beat us, and it’s like big brother, little brother," Thornton said. "You ain’t figuring to beat me. It’s more like a competition. It’s a good game for the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry. You’ll see. It’s going to be a great game. I expect them to come out with their best.”